1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reverse rotation preventing apparatus for a spinning reel, more particularly to an apparatus for allowing a handle of a spinning reel to be rotated in a forward direction to wind a fishing line but for preventing the handle from being rotated in a backward direction to unwind the fishing line, which has a plurality of rollers, these rollers being inserted into an inner periphery surface of an outer race and thereafter being fitted between the inclined surfaces and an outer periphery surface of a sleeve during the rotation of the handle in the backward direction, the rollers being stuck to a magnetic material of a plurality of roller supporters, the rollers being spaced from a nonmagnetic material of the roller supporters, which is capable of minimizing a rotational resistance of the handle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a reverse rotation preventing apparatus for a fishing reel is installed on a main shaft between a reel main body and a rotor. This rotation preventing apparatus allows a handle of the fishing reel to be rotated in the forward direction or backward direction due to the operation of a certain control lever.
When an angler wants to control the length of a fishing line in order to put a bait on a hook of a fishing reel or to throw a fishing rod, the reverse rotation preventing apparatus allows a handle of the fishing reel to be rotated in the forward direction to wind a fishing line and to be rotated in the backward direction to unwind the fishing line.
After dropping the fishing line in the water, the handle can be only rotated in the forward direction to wind the fishing line due to the operation of the reverse rotation preventing apparatus. At this time, if a proper tension is applied to the fishing line, the angler exactly feels a bite. Although the angler pulls the fishing line with a jerk, the fishing line is not released from a spool of the fishing reel.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a reverse rotation preventing apparatus in a conventional spinning reel, and FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the conventional reverse rotation preventing apparatus;
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a reverse rotation preventing apparatus for a fishing reel is consisted of an inner race body (5) and a reverse preventing member (6). The inner race body (5) includes an inner race (5a) having a cylindrical shape. A plurality of roller receiving portions (5b) are formed in a radial periphery of the inner race (5a) at a uniform distance interval. A needle roller (5d) is received in the roller receiving portion (5b) and thereafter it is supported by an elastic supporter (5c), respectively. The reverse preventing member (6) includes a cylindrical body for receiving the inner race body (5) therein. A plurality of depressed portions (6e) and a plurality of inclined surfaces (6f) are successively formed at a radial inner surface of the reverse preventing member (6). The reverse preventing member (6) includes a plurality of protrusions (6c) which protrude from a radial outer periphery of the reverse preventing member (6). At this time, a locking groove (6b) is formed between the protrusions (6c).
FIGS. 3a and 3b are fragmentary transverse sectional views of the conventional reverse rotation preventing apparatus, showing the operational state of the reverse preventing apparatus.
Hereinbelow, the operation of the reverse preventing member as described above will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3a and 3b. 
If an angler rotates a handle (not shown) of the fishing reel in the forward direction or the backward direction under the state that a locking member (12) does not locked in the locking groove (6b) of the reverse preventing member (6), then a sleeve (11) inserted into a main shaft (10) begins to be rotated in the clockwise direction or the counter-clockwise direction in the drawings.
When the sleeve (11) is rotated in the clockwise direction, the inner race (5) is rotated in the clockwise direction together with the sleeve (11) and thereby the needle roller (5d) of the inner race (5) is locked in the depressed portion (6e) of the reverse preventing member (6). When the sleeve (11) is rotated in the counter-clockwise direction, the inner race (5) is rotated in the counter-clockwise direction together with the sleeve (11). Thereby, the needle roller (5d) of the inner race (5) is wedged between the outer periphery of the sleeve (11) and the inclined surface (6f) of the reverse preventing member (6).
Under this state, if the locking member (12) is locked in the locking groove (6b) of the reverse preventing member (6) as shown in FIG. 3a (e.g., the reverse preventing member (6) is set to the ON-state), then the sleeve (11) is rotated in the clockwise direction during the rotation of the handle in the forward rotational direction. Further, the inner race (5) is rotated in the clockwise direction together with the sleeve (11) and the needle roller (5d) of the inner race (5) is locked in the locking groove (6b) of the reverse preventing member (6). Since the locking member (12) is locked in the locking groove (6b), the reverse preventing member (6) can not be rotated. However, the needle roller (5d) is comfortably supported by the elastic supporter (5c) within the depressed portion (6e) of the reverse preventing member (6) When the sleeve (11) is rotated in the clockwise direction, the needle roller (5d) is pushed toward a remaining space of the depressed portion (6e), respectively. As a result, the handle can be rotated in the forward rotational direction.
If the handle is rotated in the backward direction under the state that the reverse preventing member (6) is set to the ON-state, then the inner race (5) is rotated in the counter-clockwise direction together with the sleeve (11). Thereby, the needle roller (5d) of the inner race (5) is wedged between the outer periphery surface of the sleeve (11) and the inclined surface (6f) of the reverse preventing member (6). Under this case, it is impossible to rotate the reverse preventing member (6). Further, it is impossible to obtain a rotational space for the sleeve. As a result, the handle can not be rotated in the backward direction.
However, the needle roller (5d) is supported by the elastic supporter (5c) such as a plate spring. Accordingly, if an elasticity of the elastic supporter (5c) deteriorates, then the elastic supporter (5c) can not smoothly push the needle roller (5d) toward a position of between the outer periphery of the sleeve (11) and the inclined surface (6f) of the reverse preventing member (6). Further, the needle roller (5d) is rotated on its axis due to the rotation of the sleeve (11) before the needle roller (5d) being wedged between the outer periphery of the sleeve (11) and the inclined surface (6f) of the reverse preventing member (6). As a result, the handle can be rotated in the backward under the state that the reverse preventing member (6) is operating at the ON-state.
If the needle roller (5d) is positioned in the depressed portion (6e) of the reverse preventing member (6), then the needle roller (5d) is released from the needle roller receiving portion (5b) toward the depressed portion (6e). As a result, the handle of the conventional fishing reel cannot be smoothly operated.
Since the operation of the reverse preventing member (6) is mainly dependent to the elastic force of the elastic supporter (5c), the expected life span of the reverse preventing member (6) becomes short such as that of the life cycle of the elastic supporter (5c). If the elastic supporter (5c) does not exactly combined to the inner race (5) or the needle roller (5d) does not fixed at an exact position in the needle roller receiving portion (5b) by the elastic supporter (5c), then the reverse preventing member (6) frequently gets out of order. Further, inferior goods are produced in large quantities during the manufacturing process of the reverse preventing member.
When the handle is rotated in the backward direction and the forward direction under the state that the reverse preventing member (6) is set to the OFF-state, the inner race (5) and the reverse preventing member (6) are rotated together with the sleeve (11). At this time, the rotational resistance is generated during the rotation of the handle. Since the protrusions (6c) of the reverse preventing member (6) have a large width of gear-tooth shape, the locking member (12) is not directly locked into the locking groove (6b) of the reverse preventing member (6). Accordingly, the locking member (12) is mainly laid on the protrusions (6c). Under this case, a certain rotational gap for allowing the spinning reel to be rotated in the backward rotational direction can be created until the reverse preventing member (6) substantially operates.
If this rotational gap is created, then it is hard to uniformly control the tension of the fishing line. As a result, it is hard to exactly sense the fact that a fish takes a bite. Accordingly, after setting the reverse preventing member (6) to the ON-state, the angler must rotate the handle little by little in order to exactly lock the locking member (12) in the locking groove (6c) of the reverse preventing member (6).
The present invention is contrived to solve the foregoing problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a reverse rotation preventing apparatus for a spinning reel, which is capable of allowing a handle of a spinning reel to be rotated in a forward direction to wind a fishing line but for effectively preventing the handle from being rotated in a backward direction to unwind the fishing line, and is capable of minimizing a rotational resistance of the handle.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a reverse rotation preventing apparatus for a fishing reel, the reverse rotation preventing apparatus including a housing which has a locking protrusion inwardly protruding from a radial inner surface of a housing body, the housing body having an open lower portion, a holder receiving portion which is provided at a radial inner side of the housing body, a lever through hole which is formed at a radial one side outer surface of the housing body, a lever arm which outwardly protrudes from the outer surface of the housing body, a plurality of locking portions which outwardly protrude from the radial outer surface of the housing body, and an axle supporting portion which protrudes from an upper surface of the housing body at a radial outer periphery of the holder receiving portion; an outer race having an annular body adapted to fitted into the locking protrusion of the housing, a plurality of depressed portions and a plurality of inclined surfaces which are continuously formed at an inner periphery surface of the outer race; a plurality of rollers which are inserted into the inner periphery surface of the outer race and are fitted between the inclined surfaces and an outer periphery surface of a sleeve; a lower cover being inserted into the open lower portion of the housing body of the housing and being engaged with the lower portion of the housing body; and a roller holder having a plurality of roller supporters which are formed on an upper surface of the roller holder, the roller holder having an axle insertion hole which is formed through the center portion of a holder body, the roller supporters which are spaced from one another at a predetermined distance and are disposed around the axle insertion hole,
the reverse rotation preventing apparatus improvement comprising; the roller supporters include a magnetic material and a nonmagnetic material, the magnetic material facing in the backward rotational direction of the fishing reel, the nonmagnetic material facing in the forward rotational direction of the fishing reel, the rollers are brought into contact with the inner periphery surface of the outer race and the outer periphery surface of the sleeve under the state that the rollers are inserted between the roller supporters, the rollers are stuck to the magnetic material and whereby the rollers are spaced from the nonmagnetic material at a predetermined distance.
As described above, in the reverse rotation preventing apparatus according to the present invention, the roller is supported by the magnetic material of the roller supporters. This roller is fitted into the inclined surface of the outer race during the rotation of the handle in the backward rotational direction. The roller is spaced from the nonmagnetic material of the roller supporters at a predetermined distance.